


Fire and Ice

by EreAsha



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragons, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, dragon rider au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-09-12 17:31:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9082432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EreAsha/pseuds/EreAsha
Summary: The only dragon left in the land is Black, controlled by Zarkon, the leader of the Galra Empire. He uses the power and magic that comes with being a dragon rider to rule over the land with an iron fist. Anyone who disobeys the might of the Galra Empire goes missing. There is no hope left, until Lance and Keith stumble upon their own dragons. An icy blue and loving dragon for Lance, and a fiery red and loyal dragon for Keith. The two of them must quickly rise to their full potential in order to free the world from Zarkon's rule.





	1. Gems of Fire and Ice

**Author's Note:**

> The dragon rider au that everyone needed.

Lance took a deep breath; his target in sight. A big buck, maybe the leader of this pack was not that far away. He had enough meat on him to last a little bit, even with as many people as he had to feed. "Focus, Lance." It was starting to get cold. Night was approaching rapidly, and Lance didn’t want to spend another night camped out in the mountains. Not when he knew his family was counting on him to bring home at least a little bit of meat for everyone to enjoy.

He did his best to suppress a shiver as he pulled out an arrow. Nights were always too cold, and he hated it. Lance took a deep breath, trying to stop his shivering. It wouldn’t do to have his aim suffer because he was shaking. After a moment, he aimed, taking extra caution about where he’d be firing. He had to be certain with his shot, or this would all be for nothing. Lance took another deep breath. “Focus…” It would take just a moment.

So he thought. Even as Lance aimed, he saw a flash of red. It was something that definitely wasn’t an animal. It only took Lance a moment to figure out just what (who) it was. “Keith!” Oh… Maybe that wasn’t the best idea. Yelling only startled the animals, causing them to bolt. “Shit…” Lance mumbled, shaking his head.

“Oh. Just _great_ job there, Lance!” Keith scowled, his arms crossed. “You scared them all away! What were you thinking? Oh, wait. Don’t answer that. I know. You _weren’t_ thinking! Because you never do!” He huffed and started towards Lance, glaring as he did.

Lance frowned and set his bow down, not wanting to ruin it in this encounter with Keith. “What was I thinking? What were _you_ thinking? For one thing, we’re hunting, and you have a knife. A _knife_ of all things! Secondly, I’ve been tracking this group for a long time now. You should have found your own! Get out of my space!” He crossed his arms and took a step towards Keith, frowning. Why did Keith always seem to put him in such a bad mood?

“This is a _mountain_ , Lance. It doesn’t belong to you.” Keith’s glare only intensified. “And _I’ve_ been tracking this group. Says something that you didn’t notice me ‘till now.” He scowled as he stepped in front of Lance.

“Yeah? Well… Well you didn’t notice I was here either!” He leaned down glowering. Why did Keith always have to rile him up? It wasn’t fair. “That must mean I’m a better hunter than you. After all, you didn’t see me until I started yelling at you.” He grinned, feeling good about that. Sure, he was taunting Keith, but what harm did that ever bring?

Maybe it wasn’t actually a good idea to taunt Keith, considering the other practically slammed their foreheads together when Lance finished speaking. “I _didn’t_ notice you” he started, voice quiet, yet threatening, “because I was _actually_ focused on hunting. If you had been focusing, then it _wouldn’t have mattered_ that I was there. Because you would have been hunting!” He almost seemed genuinely angry about it. Keith probably was.

Lance glared. He glared because maybe Keith had the tiniest little bit of a good point there. If he hadn’t yelled, and ignored Keith and actually hunted, then he’d have something to bring back to his family. Sure, Keith wouldn’t have something eat, but that would be his problem. Besides, this mountain was free for everyone to use, so Keith could have kept hunting. However, Lance also glared because of how close Keith was. He could see Keith’s eyes, and how they were a soft grey that almost appeared violet. Keith’s eyes were full of emotion. Lance didn’t want to see it, so he did the only thing he could think of. He spit in Keith’s face.

In hindsight, that probably wasn’t the best thing to do. Not when Keith was so close. Not when that emotion in Keith’s eyes all turned to anger. “What the hell, Lance?!” Keith’s voice wasn’t quiet anymore. He was yelling, He was angry. Lance didn’t even get a chance to answer before he felt something him hit. _Keith_ hit him. His hand was curled up in a fist, and was extended slightly to show where he had hit Lance.

“Oophf!” Lance doubled over, clutching his gut. He really should have just taken a step back, or laughed it off, or anything other than _spitting_ in Keith’s face. He just had to spit in Keith’s face instead of literally anything else. As soon as Lance caught his breath, he acted. He didn’t even think about what he was doing. He just jumped at Keith, using both hands to push him to the ground. A bit of rocky footing meant he fell down on top of Keith, but that didn’t stop the flash of satisfaction Lance felt when he successfully attacked the other.

Keith groaned in pain when he landed on the ground and the rocks digging into his back. Lance’s entire weight on top of him didn’t help. “Get the fuck off of me!” Keith was angry. He knew fighting wouldn’t fix anything, and wasn’t the way to go. Yet he brought his knee up, aiming to get Lance off of him. His eyes flashed with satisfaction when he got Lance’s side, only to be disappointed when it _didn’t_ knock Lance off of him. Lance groaned before glaring at Keith. Oh… It was _on_. Lance didn’t think about anything before curling his hand into a fist and punching Keith. It was satisfying when his hand connected with Keith’s face. A part of Lance hoped he had broken the other’s nose.

Keith wanted to knock that stupid, smug look right off of Lance’s face. The best way to do that would be to get the upper hand. Lance had, stupidly in Keith’s opinion, lowered his guard after the punch, which made it easy to roll to the side, knocking Lance off. Keith quickly bounced to his feet, and wasted no time before he kicked Lance. Lance howled in pain and clutched his eye. Keith stared for a moment, surprised. He hadn’t meant to get Lance’s face, but it what the other deserved for spitting in his face and then punching his face.

“Fuck you, Keith!” His mother was going to kill him when he came home with a black eye and nothing to eat. This really had been a terrible idea, hadn’t it? He insulted Keith too. That was not the smartest thing he could have done. Not when Keith still had the high ground, and was easily able to kick him again if he wanted to. Keith probably would have left him alone if he hadn’t spit Keith’s face too. Well, he wasn’t going to back down. Not yet.

Lance was trying to figure out what he wanted to do when he noticed the weather. Usually, there were tells about how the weather was going change. It’d be a gentle roll. Winds would change, slowly as the weather came to its next form. He had always been able to tell when the weather would change, which is why he hunted instead of his siblings. Now though, the clouds rolled in fast. Thunder was rolling. It was, in Lance’s opinion, a very unnatural storm. He didn’t have time to think about it, seeing as Keith was yelling again.

“I should be the one saying that to you!” Keith’s glare intensified, and he crossed his arms again. Lance could have gotten up, but he was trying to think of what to do. “I got upset because you scared away all the animals! Then, for no reason what so ever, you had to spit in my face!” He huffed and pulled his foot back, getting ready to kick Lance again. However, Lance noticed the light gathering in the sky, above them. Lance knew that sign, and it wasn’t good.

He didn’t think. Lance just acted. He rolled to the side, and into Keith, causing them to both tumble away, and over the edge of a small hill. Keith cussed as they tumbled down the slope. Bits of rock and twigs tore at their clothes and got stuck in their hair. It was probably more painful than whatever their fighting had been, considering dirt got into their cuts too. It was a good thing that Lance had gotten them both to move, seeing as not a moment later, lightning struck the spot they had been standing. Both Lance and Keith’s ears rung with the sound of thunder. Small fires clung to whatever small branches and shrubs hadn’t been completely blown away or destroyed.

While he waited for his hearing to return, and the ringing in his ears to stop, Keith stood and brushed himself off. He pulled the twigs and branches from his hair and scowled, shaking his head. When he had finished, he offered a hand to Lance, so he could help him up. “You…” He could hear his own voice, which meant Lance probably could. “…Saved me. Thank you, Lance.”

Lance blinked a couple of times, before nodding and taking Keith’s hand, glad for the help. “Yeah… No problem.” He shook his own head now, and ran a hand through his hair before speaking again. “I noticed it was gathering and well, I couldn’t just let it hit you too.” He shrugged his shoulders before glancing back up the slope. “Bet’cha I can get back up there before you could!” Lance didn’t even give Keith a chance to respond before he started to scramble back up the slope.

“Huh? Lance, wait!” Keith frowned before scrambling up after Lance. The other laughed when he reached the top before Keith, like he had obtained a victory. “You can’t say you won. You were halfway up before I had time to process anything,” Keith huffed, wanting to wipe the smirk off Lance’s face. It wasn’t working.

“Aww. You’re jealous. Don’t worry, babe. I know I’m amazing.” Keith could only roll his eyes at Lance’s antics. Yeah sure. Lance amazing? That was hilarious. Keith almost said something, wanting to shut Lance up but, unfortunately, Lance started speaking again before Keith could get a word in. “Oh look!” He laughed as he stared at the spot. “The lightning unearthed some gemstones!”

“I… Really don’t think that’s how lightning works, Lance.” Keith frowned, but Lance was right. The lightning had already blown away some of the branches and bushes, so it wasn’t a stretch to say it had blown away some dirt, revealing the gems. It had to, seeing as there was what looked to be a ruby and sapphire sitting there. They were honestly beautiful. Keith had never seen an uncut gem so smooth or rounded. It didn’t seem natural. Keith still wanted one though, and reached for the closer gem, which was the sapphire.

Lance slapped his hand away and snatched both stones, shaking his head. “Nuh-uh. These are mine. My sisters would kill for jewelry made with the stuff. Plus! I can sell the extras and buy some meat.” Since he had scared away all the deer. Whoops. Well, anything that was left in the area would have run when the lightning struck anyway, so he didn’t see it as a loss. “Besides, I totally saved your life. So I deserve both gems as a reward.”

Keith rolled his eyes and sighed. Typically Lance. Always thinking he was more deserving than he was. “Yeah. Sure. You did. However, if I hadn’t been here, you would have gotten the meat and been on your way. Then you wouldn’t have found the gems at all. So let me have one.” Which one he got didn’t matter. He didn’t care.

“I guess… I guess. There’s a point there.” Or maybe he would have gotten both anyway. Or maybe he would have been so focused on the animals that he wouldn’t have noticed the unnatural lightning. The storm was already gone, and it never even fell. “Fine. Fine. I’ll give you one. But I get to choose which.” There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. Keith had reached for the sapphire first, so Lance handed over the ruby.

“You do know you’re an idiot, right?” He sighed as he held the stone, and frowned as his fingers brushed the surface. Something felt off. “It’s like it’s breathing…” That was strange. “What about your sapphire?”

Lance’s eyebrows knit together as he held his sapphire. He was concentrating on it, and just holding it. “I… Yeah. I think it is breathing. Gems don’t breathe though, Keith.” He was scared. This… This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. “Keith… The lightning wasn’t natural. The clouds gathered too fast, and now there’s nothing.”

“So… What?” Keith raised an eyebrow, not sure what Lance was getting at. So what if the lighting wasn’t natural? “Wait… Shit. Magic?” That was impossible. Only the Galra Empire had access to magic. Anyone else was gone; taken to join the Galra Empire or else just disappearing. “These gems aren’t magic, are they? Lance, we can’t keep them!” He shook his head, hands clutching the ruby tight. “The Galra Empire will be after these, and us too if we have them!”

Lance frowned and looked down at his sapphire. It practically hummed under his fingers. It called to him. It was asking, no, begging him not to go. Not to leave it or abandon it. It wanted protection from the Galra Empire. It was afraid, and that fear shook Lance. It took over, making him shake and shake his head. “We… We can’t.” He just barely gasped out. “The Galra… They can’t have these. Too afraid. Bad things. I feel it.” It was down to his core. “We need to protect them.”

“You’re crazy.” Keith spoke without hesitating. The gems, afraid? That was ridiculous. Though, they were magic. Who said they didn’t have some sentience? Some knowledge of what was going on in the Galra Empire? Knowledge of what the Empire wanted to use them for? Keith couldn’t help but shiver. There were traces of fear in the ruby he was holding, begging him not to go and not to abandon it. “I… Damn it.” He shook his head. “You’re right. We can’t just leave these gems. That’s so annoying.”

Lance grinned at that, nodding. “Yeah. So… We gotta hide these. No selling them or making jewelry or anything.” But where? “Hiding this sapphire will be hard for me though. There’s too many people at my house. It’d be found almost immediately.” He sighed and ran his hand over the sapphire, almost calming it. He didn’t want to leave it though. He couldn’t leave it alone for someone else. He had to have it.

“Well, just hide it away from your house? Like in the woods somewhere or… Keep it with you in a rucksack or something.” Keith sighed and shook his head again. At least he didn’t have a problem like Lance did. His own place was rather empty. It was no problem keeping his stone safe and away from prying eyes. Thank goodness. “Or just leave it here. It’s your call really, Lance.”

Lance frowned and looked down at the sapphire. “Right… Yeah. I think… I’ll keep it with me. A rucksack seems good. Or… Or something.” His fingers brushed against the sapphire, and he closed his eyes so he could just feel its life. Keith frowned as he watched… Though the warmth under his own fingers was so comforting and calming.

They stood in silence now. Neither boy moved. There was nothing to say or do. The warmth of the gems encompassed them. It filled with a sense of purpose. But… What purpose? What did these sentient gems want them to do? Go against the Galra Empire? They’d be killed before they set foot outside of their village. Keith struggled to move. He had to get home… Figure out something to eat, but it was like his feet were rooted to the ground.

“Shit!” Lance yelped and dropped the sapphire before rubbing his hands together. His eyes were wide. “What the fuck dude? This thing is freezing now!” His hands felt like ice, and no matter how much he rubbed them together, they wouldn’t warm up.

Keith raised his eyebrow, but before he could say anything, he yelped and dropped the ruby. “What the fuck is right!” His wasn’t freezing but… Keith looked at his hands, and the burns that snaked across his fingers. The smell of burnt cloth was there too. Keith had no doubt that it was from his gloves.

Keith and lance glanced at each other, unsure of what to do before glancing down at their gems. The gems that were practically pulsating with energy. They were shaking, and cracks appeared on their surface. Lance’s eyes were wide and panicked, and Keith could only stare.

Neither of them could say anything as the gems, the eggs broke open, and tiny reptiles clawed their way out. One was red and one was blue, matching the eggs’ shells. Both reptiles made a crooning noise in the back of their throats before awkwardly jumping to them. Lance and Keith instinctively caught them, and as they did, one word entered both of their minds.

_Dragons._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments give me the fuel and motivation to keep typing and posting.  
> You can talk with me on my [tumblr](http://lovesanimefanart.tumblr.com/), lovesanimefanart


	2. Dragon Riders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance are clueless about what makes them dragon riders, especially since their only source is Zarkon and his dragon, Black. Thankfully, someone shows up, knowing the answers, only he can't share them now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who gave me kudos and reviews! It's nice seeing people are liking that. Now we're on to chapter two.

Keith wasn’t sure what he could ever have done to deserve such a fate. He carefully searched through every memory he could recall, looking through every little detail of his life, but there was nothing big. There was no horrible event he had done to deserve his fate. Sure, sometimes he had punched other children, or cussed out an adult, but those were accounted for. He had gotten trouble or hit back. He had been paid back those deeds already. So maybe… It was some past life sort of thing that had led to his current predicament? If so, it was horribly unfair. Keith couldn’t even remember any past lives! He wasn’t sure he believed in them.

He rubbed his right hand, trying to still a fire that raged under his skin. It felt like his hand was on fire. Logically, Keith knew it wasn’t. There were no flames or smoke. His skin wasn’t peeling, and the fire wasn’t spreading. It just stayed in his fingers, like a constant reminder of the dragon he now owned. Rode? Was partners with? Keith knew next to nothing about dragons. There was only one left in the land, and it was a menace. Black was terrifying… Then again, King Zarkon was terrifying too, so at least the dragon and rider matched.

The two dragons were perfectly content right now. Keith frowned as he watched them. The two were curled up, like cats, pretty much. His was smaller and slimmer than Lance’s dragon… So maybe his would be faster, and more agile. It was a guess, really. Again, Keith knew next to nothing about dragons, and all the stories of old were gone. Zarkon had made sure that every last one of them had disappeared and anyone caught telling a tale simple disappeared. So really, there was no where he could go to learn more about them.

His dragon cried lightly for his attention, so Keith sighed and ran his fingers over the dragon’s scales. It chirped, content, which caused Keith to smile. It also caused the fire in his fingers to calm… His hand felt normal now.

“I guess you’re a fire dragon, huh? Lance’s dragon doesn’t calm the fire. It numbs it a little though… So it’s probably not a fire dragon.” Blue… Blue would be water or ice, right? Keith scoffed at the idea. Right, so either Lance’s hands would be perpetually wet or they’d be freezing. Honestly, he wasn’t sure which would be worse. Fire certainly seemed bad, but he also got to calm it since his dragon was here. Lance couldn’t.

“You two are so lucky I live by myself.” They’d have nowhere to hide the dragons if he didn’t. Lance lived with his family, and people were in and out of the town so much that they couldn’t hid them there. Maybe, they’d have been able to hide Lance’s dragon in the woods… But then Lance had gone on about checking up on the dragon, which would lead to questions about why he was leaving so often. He couldn’t say he was watching a dragon so he’d have say he was dating or something, and then Keith would have to pretend to be his boyfriend- And at that point, Keith had cut Lance off, because fine, he could watch the two dragons at his place. At least he could while they were young and small.

He was old enough that no one would check on him either. When he was younger, he bounced from home to home until he had been able to care for himself. Then, he’d gotten his own little hut on the edge of town. Until recently, someone would be in to check on him every few days, and would make sure he had everything he needed. Supposedly, he hadn’t just been adopted into a family because strange things happened when he stayed for any length of time. He was still a child though, and so no one had had the heart to throw him away… And now that he was older, things were fine, so he stayed.

A knock came at his door. Keith paused his petting, which made his dragon whine and croon. It calmed when another knock came at the door, and Lance’s dragon glanced up for a moment. Keith frowned, and stood up. Slowly, his fingers started to feel like fire again, but Keith didn’t notice. He was focused on the door instead. Usually, no one bothered him. So it was either Lance or-

“Keith, I know you’re home!” A smile slowly found itself onto Keith’s face at the sound of the other’s voice. Of course _Lance_ wouldn’t visit him. There was no need. Not yet. If he came about too often, the dragons would be discovered, since Lance didn’t really visit except to announce when he was going on a hunt, and then declaring that Keith was to wait until Lance returned before hunting… Not that Keith listened… And maybe he’d go out only when Lance did. It was funny; Lance didn’t usually noticed him.

“Shiro, it’s nice to see you!” Keith didn’t even think about the dragons as he opened the door for the storyteller. He paled, once the thought crossed his mind. The door was already open though. Shiro was here. The dragons were in sight. “Sh… Shiro…”

Keith didn’t get to say anything else, as Shiro pushed inside and closed the door behind himself, and bolted it shut. He muttered a few words under his breath before he was satisfied enough to step away from the door. “I’m glad to see you were sensible enough to realize your mistake. However, if I had been anyone but who I am, that would have spelled terrible trouble for you and the other rider… Who I’m going to guess is Lance, going by what I know about the both of you.”

“I… _What?”_ Keith could only stare at Shiro. He wasn’t sure he was hearing the other correctly. He was just… So casual about the dragons. Like he had known about them all along. He also wasn’t surprised to see he had dragons, which just baffled him.

“Right. Okay.” Shiro sighed and ran his right hand through his hair. Keith couldn’t help but noticed that something was _off_ with his arm… But he couldn’t place it. Maybe… The new white in Shiro’s hair was messing with his perception. “You probably have a lot of questions. Like how I knew you had dragons, and why I know about your dragons, right? Also probably why I’m here. I never visit you personally. I stay at the inn.”

Numbly, Keith nodded, and Shiro continued. “Right. Well, the why I’m here is pretty simple. It’s _because_ of those two dragons you’re hiding. I know they’re here… And so does the empire, I’m afraid. Now… As for how I know about dragons and how I knew you had them… The answer is the same. Voltron.”

The group in defiance of King Zarkon was known as Voltron, or simply as the rebel group Voltron. Rumor was, Balmerians and Elves, along with any magic-using humans joined in it, in the hopes that they could free the world from Zarkon’s grasp. However, there’d been no movement from them. No raids or attacks or even whispers of them. Keith had thought they were a myth. He _still_ thought they were a myth… But Shiro was in front of him, claiming that Voltron was why he knew about the dragons.

“I see your questions, Keith. Yes. I’m a part of Voltron. And if you and Lance want to get out of here before Zarkon sends his minions out, I’m going to need you to trust me.”

He held out his hand. Keith just stared at it, not sure what to think. Things were changing much too quickly. If it was anyone else, he would have refused. This wasn’t just anyone though; it was Shiro. Keith knew Shiro. Shiro was one of the few, maybe even the only, people he trusted. After that moment of hesitation, Keith slipped his hand into Shiro’s for a firm handshake, sealing the deal.

He couldn’t help but notice that Shiro’s skin felt cold.

**|***|**

Lance sighed and stared out at the fields from his window. He honestly wasn’t sure what to think about anything. He and Keith had found dragon eggs… Well really, he had found dragons eggs. Keith had just hatched one of them. They both had dragons. It was such a surreal thought. Dragons were a myth right? Sure, people claimed the king owned one, but who ever saw that dragon? The only thing he knew was that that dragon’s name was apparently ‘Black,’ but also, that was a terrible name. It _sounded_ made up. Then again… Lance was also seriously considering calling his dragon ‘Blue’, and he was pretty sure Keith was going to end up calling his ‘Red’, so maybe it wasn’t that far off.

He sighed again and rubbed at his fingers. No matter what he did, it felt like they were encased in ice. His fingers were cold. It felt like they were encased. Nothing was there though… Nothing except the lingering feeling of something missing. For a moment, Lance’s mind snapped to thoughts of his dragon. Then it was gone, and he was left to wonder if the icy feelings in his fingers would ever go away. There was also the fear of it spreading. What if ice encased him completely? What if ice encased his heart? What would happen then? Part of him told him that wouldn’t happen.

Again, Lance’s thoughts trailed off to think about the dragons. There wasn’t just one dragon, but two. Two beautiful, baby dragons in the world… Keith and he were their riders. He was a rider. Was he going to get magic? He hoped not. The Empire took anyone with magic in them, and frankly, he didn’t want to be in an army. Then again, he had a dragon, so maybe he’d get special treatment. Really, it was just confusing, and Lance had no one to talk with about it. Well, he had Keith, but Keith was all the way on the other side of the village, and he couldn’t just become Keith’s buddy just like that. So he was stuck in his own thoughts. It was… A bit unsettling.

“Uncle Lance! Uncle Lance!” He didn’t have to dwell on his thoughts for long, as his niece came running to find him. Lance smiled faintly, knowing what was coming. “Your mom said that since you aren’t doing anything, you can play with me!”

That made Lance laugh. “Lucia, I would have played with you even if my mom didn’t say I had to. You know that.” His little nibling giggled before grabbing Lance’s hands to pull him up. In the back of his mind, Lance noted that she didn’t flinch away from the coldness of his one hand, so it was likely she didn’t even feel it. He also took note of how her hands still felt warm and alive, even though he couldn’t coax the warmth back into his fingers. “Alright! Alright!” He laughed. “You don’t have to drag me. I’m coming. I’m coming.”

She cheered at that, which made Lance smile. He loved his family so much. His two older sisters and his older brother. Their spouses. The youngest of his older sister’s two kids… His parents and his grandparents. They all stayed together, and Lance was glad for it. It meant there was always someone there to listen. There was always love going around the house. It kept him warm and happy.

Lance didn’t even register what it was Lucia was dragging him out to play. Though he did notice that Raul, his nephew and Lucia’s brother, came out to join them eventually. He also could have sworn that, at some point, he saw their parents watching them, before his grandparents called them away from some help.

Maybe he could get away with playing with his niblings instead of helping around the place because he was the youngest. Maybe it was because he had just gone hunting, even if he didn’t bring anything back. Or maybe it was just because the two youngest of the family were having such a good time with their Uncle Lance that no one could bare to break them apart to get Lance to do something. He was willing to bet that it was that last one. It wasn’t often that Lucia and Raul got to play so much, or that they looked so happy. Even the youngest knew that with so much family, things could be hard.

Eventually, his sister came out, and did stop all of their playing. “Lance, you have a visitor.”

His niblings pouted. “Aunt Talia! No! We’re playing with Uncle Lance! Let us play!”

Lance had frowned and shook his head. “Sorry Raul, Lucia. It seems like it’s important. That’s why Talia is here, and not someone else.” His sister slapped the back of his head for that, but it was worth it. Lance laughed as he made his way back towards the house. He couldn’t think of anyone who’d want to visit him. Keith, maybe, about the dragons. Except that Keith couldn’t visit him without bringing the dragons, and there was still too much daylight to think about transporting them.

**|***|**

Lance frowned as he sat down on a couch at Keith’s place. His dragon, Blue, had been ecstatic to see him, and had immediately curled up on his lap, a contented chirp leaving her mouth. Lance wasn’t sure why he knew Blue was a she, but he did. He was glad to find that his fingers thawed when he was near Blue too, though he was still hesitant about Shiro being here. Sure, Shiro was a storyteller… He went everywhere and picked everything up. But something was just _off_.

“I’m going to start by telling you what I told Keith. The Empire knows about your dragons, and will soon be here. I am here to help. I know all this stuff because I am a part of Voltron.”

It was more than Lance could handle. He glanced over at Keith for a moment, wanting to know his reaction. However, Keith had kept his face blank, displaying nothing. His eyes were trained on Shiro, though one hand was arresting on his dragon. Keith’s was on his lap, just like how Blue was on his own.

Shiro continued on, once he’d given Lance a little bit of time to process what he said. “The two eggs you two have been tracked. The Empire… Had control of them. For a long time too.” He looked like he wanted to add something to that, before quickly shaking his head, seemingly having thought better of it.

“Some of the Alteans had gotten them… But not without losses. For one thing, some very powerful people were lost. Another is that we couldn’t keep the eggs. Zarkon had some sort of magic wrapped around them. The best we could do was to send them to the edge of the kingdom. Whoever was closest was to get them, dispel the magic, and bring them back to Voltron. But instead… It seems like the dragons chose you two.”

“So basically, what you’re saying is that we got these dragons on complete accident, but it doesn’t matter because they wouldn’t have hatched if they hadn’t chosen us.” When Shiro nodded, Keith continued. “Right. So then, if there was some sort of magic on the eggs, telling the king where they were, then was it dispelled when they hatched? Or is it just sort of clinging onto the dragons?” It was a valid question.

“The magic would have dispelled when the eggs hatched. Broken and empty eggs mean nothing. They aren’t worth anything. Thankfully, Zarkon didn’t think that the eggs would hatch for anyone other than someone in his service, so he didn’t add layers on to trace the dragons. However, the trail of that magic still settles here. He knows that the eggs hatched here. If we’re lucky, he’ll send some of the droids after us. If we aren’t, it’ll be the druids.” Shiro grimaced as he said the word. Lance and Keith could see a flash of pain, hurt, and even betrayal in his eyes before he composed himself.

“The sooner we leave, the better. Lance, did you ever bring Blue home? Or did she come straight from the mountain to Keith’s?”

“Oh… Yeah. The second. Too many people at my place. She’d have been found immediately.” He shrugged before running his fingers over his dragon’s scales again. “So she came straight from the mountain here… Don’t think she liked being away from me though.” Now that he was with her again, Lance could say that he had hated being away. He just hadn’t been able to tell that until he was with her again.

Shiro nodded, as if that was to be expected. “Typically, they don’t. Especially not when the bond is so new. The stronger and older the bond, the easier it is to be apart.” He shook his head. “That’s not the point though. At least not yet. The fact that the dragons only came from the mountain to here is good. It means they can’t connect anyone else in the village. But it also means we must speed up our departure. You two, pack up. I’m going to buy some supplies. Then we’re leaving.”

Lance stared, unsure of what to think. They were going to leave. And today. “But… My family.” They’d see him packing. There was no way he could get out today. It’d have to be tonight. Or he could grab his bow and arrows and some other stuff and pretend to go out hunting again, since he hadn’t caught anything the last time. He made a face. He had a way to get his things, so now he had to take it, didn’t he?

“Careful. Your face might freeze that way.” Lance frowned as he glanced towards Keith. Of course Keith would say something like that. He was worried about leaving his family. The only time he’d ever been away from them was when he was hunting, and even then, he was never gone for long. This wasn’t something he was used to thinking about. Keith though… Keith never really had anyone, did he? Something about the other being cursed, which really Lance didn’t believe.

Shiro sighed lightly. “Lance, I know you don’t like the idea… But you can always come back when this is done. Right now, the Empire doesn’t know you’re a rider. And when the find out, if you’re far enough away from here, they won’t find your connection to your family.” Lance was still at a loss for words. Shiro frowned, and moved closer, to rest one hand on Lance’s shoulder. “At least think about it, alright? We have… A little bit of time still.”

Lance just numbly nodded… And took note of how cold Shiro’s hand felt. It hadn’t been warm, like his niblings’ hands were.


	3. The Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is time to leave town, to leave so that the villagers will be safe. However, they can't win alone. They need supplies, training, and allies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I want to apologize for just how long this chapter took. I apparently started in on Valentine's Day but just... Honestly I lost my inspiration to write because it seemed like no one was reading this. I know I said kudos and comments help me drive, but just seeing kudos and then only two people commenting? It's disheartening.
> 
> Honestly, everyone should thank europa_report. If they hadn't replied to a comment I left on one of their fics and then also mentioned that they liked my dragon rider klance fic, I probably wouldn't have ever opened the word document holding chapter three again.
> 
> This chapter was also hard to write in general just because it is a sort of in-between chapter. It holds plot and getting to know characters and stuff, but also it's a lot of traveling and that is difficult to write. Hopefully I did alright. I like what I wrote and I have to thank Seliphra for helping me edit the first half of this chapter to flow a lot better.

_‘I can’t believe I’m doing this.’_ Lance shook his head and took a deep breath. He was doing this, packing up, leaving, and running away from home to take care of a dragon. A dragon of all things! _‘But I gotta, don’t I? Shiro made it very clear that the empire already knows that both Blue and Red hatched, and that they know where they hatched too… Meaning they’ll come looking for the two dragons.’_

If the dragons were found here, then it was very possible the empire would use anything and anyone they could to get the dragons under their control. Lance grimaced. _‘They’d use my family against me. Threaten them unless I worked with them.’_ That was the type of people the empire, or at least their army, was.

Lance took a deep breath, finished stuffing what he needed into the rucksack, before pulling the drawstrings closed and sitting on the bed. _‘Was that everything? Got the work gloves… Three sets of clothes. Extra bowstrings…’_ Lance gazed around at his room, his expression softening. There were so many things he wanted to bring, but he just did not have enough room. _‘Not to mention, if I pack up everything, it’ll be really obvious that I’m one of the ones with a dragon, and then there’ll be no point in leaving.’_

He snorted at the thought before sighing. _‘Well… Even if I can’t bring everything… I don’t have to leave it all behind.’_ Lance was not quite sure he would be able to leave if he had to abandon his family entirely. That was why he made a quick decision. _‘If it’s just one memento, then it’s a lot less suspicious than if I take everything, especially if it’s something I carry with me a lot.’_ Lance nodded as he grabbed a small necklace. It was not anything special- not to any casual observer. However, it was something that his mother had given to him when he was still quite young.

“I worry about you a lot. You get into all sorts of trouble.” Lance remembered what she had said and how she had acted. His mother’s voice was soft and full of concern. “I can’t be there for you all your life, as much as I wish I could be.” She had smiled softly, her face full of love as she reached into her pocket. “That is why I want you to have this.” That was when he first laid eyes on the necklace. “It is a charm, passed down through my family. It is meant to protect. Promise me you’ll keep it with you, so I’ll always know that you’re protected.”

Lance’s expression softened as he ran his thumb over the strands of the necklace. It was basically twine, three black strings braided intricately together, with a small, smooth pebble woven into the front of it. The only other part of the necklace was the small clasp on the back, allowing him to put on and take off the necklace. If he took this necklace, or charm if it was one, no one would suspect anything. He usually carried it with him anyway.

It was only after Lance had gotten the necklace on that his expression shifted to a frown. He refused to look over at his bed, where the rucksack still laid. Shiro was taking them to Voltron, to the only rebel group even marginally successful in going against the empire. The empire was terrible, sure, but that did not mean Lance wanted to go to war. He was terrified of the idea of seriously fighting anyone, much less an entire empire with a fully trained army. _‘Do I really have much of a choice though?’_ His brows furled in anger. _‘I can stay, be discovered, and be forcibly enrolled in the empire’s army, which would put my family in harm’s way… Or I could go to Voltron and fight the empire.’_ Lance sighed sadly and shook his head. Either way, he would have to fight a war. And if he had to fight a war. Lance would much rather choose the option that would keep his family the safest, even if it was tough to actually follow through.

Yet again, Lance sighed softly as he pulled on a cloak, tugging the hood up over his head so his face would be hidden. _‘I wonder why Shiro knows anything about Voltron…’_ A frowned tugged at his lips as Lance finally acknowledged the rucksack and slug it over his shoulders. _‘Well, not about Voltron. Everyone’s at least heard of them. But Shiro really doesn’t seem like he’d be looking for trouble… So why does it seem like he’s actually a part of the rebel group?’_ It was surprise, at least to Lance. However, Keith did not seem as surprised as he was, and Keith knew Shiro much better than Lance did.

“Sorry, everyone,” Lance murmured sadly, his voice barely audible even to himself, and cast one last look around the room. He was leaving without saying a word, without even a note to give his family even a hint of why he was leaving or where he was going. Guilt tugged at his insides as Lance again debated on whether or not he really sure leaving. He was the reason everyone was able to hunt, as no one else had been able to shoot a bow properly. The rest of his family farmed or worked for others in order to get everything else they needed. _‘Except my niblings. They’re too young still to work.’_ Would they have to help out with farming now that he was leaving? He hoped not. _‘At least they’ll have one less mouth to feed with me gone. Maybe they’ll even be a little better off.’_

Lance took several deep breaths as he turned towards the window. _‘The townsfolk will help my family, right?’_ It had always been a compassionate little town. Travelers were treated warmly and if someone could help out, they would be helped in return. That would not change just because he was gone.

He slid the window open, careful not to make a sound. This would be the first and only time Lance had snuck out. He knew from just living here that he did not want to use the front door. It squeaked when opened slowly and rattled the house when opened quickly, so either way it was a no-win situation.

Lance did not look back as he silently slipped out of the house and slowly made his way through the dark streets. All he had to do was make it to the meet up spot, then he could look back without the possibility of turning back.

**|***|**

As Lance approached, Blue’s head perked up. She chirped with excitement as she squirmed in Shiro’s arms before she successful hopped down and stumbled over her own legs as she darted to Lance. Blue’s wings flapped awkwardly as she tried to get high enough to nestle in her rider’s hold. Lance smiled lightly and laughed quietly before he scooped the baby dragon up and scratched under her chin, which caused a rumbling purr deep in her chest. In many ways, it reminded him of a cat, though there were definitely differences between the two types of creatures. As soon as he stopped scratching her chin, Blue found her way onto Lance’s shoulders before her head and tail wrapped gently around his neck to secure her in place.

“I’m glad you’ve decided to come with us.” Shiro wore a relieved expression. “If you hadn’t, then we’d have had to bring Blue with us, as the Empire already knows about her.” He shook his head, a light frown tugging at his lips. “And I’ve been told that it’s terrible to break a bond.”

“Now that he’s here, we really should be going.” Keith crossed his arms. “We’re really obvious if we’re standing here, talking, and I’m fairly certain that the point of this is to not get caught,” Keith said quietly, his tone irritated. Red chirped in apparent agreement from where he was seated, perched on top of Keith’s head. Red’s tail draped down behind Keith’s head and wrapped loosely around the other’s neck, while his front claws rested in Keith’s bangs.

Lance rolled his eyes in annoyance. As always, Keith was right to the point. They were leaving so the Empire would not harm the town or anyone who lived in it. The people in town had no idea that two new dragons had hatched at all. The Empire was relentless, and would tear the town a part if the Empire thought even one person had information about the dragons.

“Yeah. Okay. Well Shiro, lead the way, I guess,” Lance agreed, his voice quiet.

“Are we heading straight to Voltron?” Keith asked, his voice curious. He walked behind Shiro, while Lance trailed behind him.

 Shiro should his head almost immediately. “No. The two of you would be immensely underprepared if we went straight to Voltron.” He stopped walking and turned to face the both of them, a frown obvious on his face. “And before either of you complain, the moment we get to Voltron, you’ll be put to the test. You’ll have eyes on you at all times. People will look to you and judge your every action.”

“Then… What was the point of this?” Lance’s voice was downcast. “We left so the Empire wouldn’t go after anyone in town. We left to go against them. But you’re saying we can’t even do that?” From her perch on Lance’s shoulders, Blue hummed faintly in an attempt to calm her rider. She could feel Lance’s nerves, his nervousness and fear.

“I’m getting to that.” Shiro’s voice was firm, and calming. He did not want either of the two teens to get the wrong idea about what they were doing, nor did he want them to jump headfirst into something they could not handle.

“Yeah Lance,” Keith frowned, his tone irritated as he spoke, “let Shiro speak.” All Lance did was glare at the other male before Shiro could continue.

“First, we’re getting supplies.” Shiro watched the both of them, and when Keith and Lance both nodded, he kept talking. “We’re going to be doing a lot of traveling. It’ll be inefficient to keep walking on foot, and neither of your dragons are anywhere close to being old enough to carry us. So we’re heading a town over. I’ll buy us food, water, and horses.”

“So, what, you don’t want me or Lance coming into the next town with you?” Keith was irritated with that, with being left behind, even if it was just while Shiro was buying supplies.

“If you went into town with me, you’d have to leave Red outside until we got back,” Shiro pointed it out, a hint of amusement to his voice. “I’d rather not needlessly separate you two from your dragons. Besides, after I get us our supplies, we’ll be heading to Olkarion. I have a friend there who can train you both.”

“Train us in what?” Lance spoke now. Genuine curiosity showed, and Blue even chirped shrilly, asking the same question.

Shiro shook his head and turned back around. “You’ll see. It isn’t something I should speak of freely.” He frowned faintly. “But it is something you’ll need in this upcoming war.”

Neither Lance nor Keith missed how Shiro’s left fist clenched as he spoke of war.

**|***|**

The five of them traveled throughout the night, taking no breaks as they moved through the land. If they had stopped too close to their town, it would be easy to track them down.

Their group moved in silence, except for an occasional, irritated chirp from one of the dragons when they were jostled too much.

When the sun started to rise, Shiro took them from the path. They walked for an hour before they could take a break to gather some energy, then they were off again. They continued like this, walking some, taking a break, and walking more, until the sun began to set. At which point, Shiro sat down and began to make camp. “Tomorrow, we’ll travel normally. We’ll all get a full night’s rest tonight.”

Shiro frowned as he got the fire started, and did not even flinch as he pulled his hand away from the flames. “Rest up guys. We have a long way to go still.”

**|***|**

It took the group three days to trek through the forest, dodging patrols and other travelers as they did. The three humans had no way to hide the two dragons while traveling, and could not risk any news of them getting out, for the information would unavoidably get into the wrong hands.

When the two came into view, Shiro stopped them, frowning. “You four will need to wait here.” He addressed the humans as well as the dragons. “We cannot leave Blue and Red out here alone, and we cannot, under any circumstance, bring them into town.” His voice was grave.

“So… We’re just supposed to wait here then?” Keith crossed his arms with a glare, and Red chirped lowly, mimicking Keith’s tone. “Just… Camp out until you return?”

“That’s _exactly_ what you’re supposed to do.” Shiro was stern, and watching them closely. “I went over this with you when we left. If you came with me, you’d have to leave your dragons behind. Even then, only one of you would be able to come, as the other would have to watch the dragons.” Shiro sighed lightly. “Besides, you both have new bonds with your dragons. Doubtless, you have realized that it is uncomfortable when you’re away from them.”

“What do you mean it’s uncomfortable?” Lance only had a light frown on his face. He was curious, and honestly, a little nervous. His fingers twitched, and he reached up to gently stroke Blue. It was a comfort.

Shiro shook his head. “You haven’t noticed? Dragons are elemental creatures. Their colors correspond to that which they control. Red dragons are fire based, while Blue dragons are water and ice based.”

Keith crossed his arms. “Okay. So what does that have to do with anything?” He was irritated and annoyed. Really, both Lance and Keith wanted answers about their dragons. They did not like learning bits and pieces; being left in the dark about many things.

“It’s simple.” Shiro held their gazes, never faltering as he spoke. “You are linked to your dragons, and in more ways than one. Keith, you have a fire dragon. Haven’t you ever felt as though you were on fire?”

Keith frowned, but before he could speak, Shiro continued. “And Lance. Blue is a water and ice dragon. You should have felt that.”

“I… Yeah.” Lance’s shoulders slumped, earning a disapproving chirp from Blue. “Before you showed up at my house, while Blue was with Keith and not me, I couldn’t shake a feeling of coldness from my fingers, no matter what I did.” He frowned, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “But no one in my family noticed how cold my hands were. No one commented on it. It was like they didn’t notice… Or that my hands weren’t freezing. So… How do you know?”

“That is a question for later. When we’re safer. Mayhap, not even until we’re at Voltron.” Shiro shook his head. “I’ll be back soon, with supplies. There’s no need to worry. Just camp. Bond with your dragons. Bond with each other. There’s only one other dragon rider, so you’ll want to have strength in each other.”

**|***|**

Shiro ended up not returning until the next morning. He brought three horses, one for each of them, all loaded with supplies. Dried food. Water canteens. Blankets. Tents. Spare arrows and even swords.

“On horseback, we’ll make better time. It took us three days to walk here. To get to Olkarion, it would take us nearly a week, if we’re lucky.” He shook his head. “We can’t afford that time. Not with the Empire searching. So, we travel by horseback. If we keep at a steady trot, and have at least one of us awake the guide the hoses, we should be there within only a couple of days.”

“You said we were going to meet one of your friends there, right?” Lance’s voice was light, as if he was not quite sure he should be voicing his questions. “Can we at least get a hint as to what we’ll be doing there? Especially since it’ll take us a few days to get there.”

“Lance, there’s no need to be so quiet.” Shiro smiled encouragingly, and placed his hand on Lance’s shoulder. “I can give you a hint. It’s alright. We just can’t speak completely freely while we’re out here.”

Lance nodded, relief flooding him. “Okay… Okay.” He nodded, more for himself than for Shiro.

“His name is Matt. He’s our ally, and a member of Voltron.” Shiro smiled and drew away from Lance. Immediately, Lance noticed the return of warmth to his shoulder.

 _‘Why had it been so cold?’_ He thought.

“You said we weren’t going to Voltron though.” Keith crossed his arms, fire in his eyes. “You said we’d be _‘immensely underprepared’_ if we went to Voltron. So what is this about?” His voice steadily rose as he spoke, betrayal laced in with his speech. “Did you _lie_ to us?” That question was spoken softly, softly enough that Red hugged the top of Keith’s head tighter in comfort.

“Keith…” Shiro spoke softly, and moved over to the other now. “I didn’t lie to you. I promise that.” Keith stubbornly looked away, refuse to look at the older man. “Look at me.” When Keith did not answer, Shiro sighed lightly.

“You both are immensely underprepared. That is why we are not going to Voltron. Matt, while a member of Voltron, does not stay at the Voltron headquarters. If you recall, I never said anything about not seeking out members of Voltron, just that we would not, at this time, be heading there ourselves.”

Keith glanced up at Shiro then, a light frown on his face. If this was not such a serious moment, Lance might poke fun at how light and un-Keith-like Keith looked.

Keith watched for a moment before nodding. “Okay… Sorry, for doubting you.” On top of his head, Red just watched Shiro, as if to say he was not.

Shiro smiled lightly and nodded. “It’s alright. I’ll make sure to be clearer in the future. Now, let’s go to Olkarion.”

**|***|**

It only took them four days to reach the town on horseback. Shiro led them away from the town proper, and towards a house on the edge of town. It was surprisingly well-kept among the rest. Yet no one seemed to look on it as strange.

Once they reached the house, Shiro dismounted, as did Keith and Lance. Shiro was confident as he walked to the door and knocked twice, paused, and then knocked once. There was a moment of silence before the door opened and a young boy appeared.

 _‘No way. This kid can’t be Shiro’s friend and a part of Voltron.’_ Keith scoffed to himself.

“Matt?” It seemed Shiro though the same, as there was hesitance in his voice. This kid certainly _looked_ like Matt, but they were not the same age or height.

“Matt isn’t here.” As soon as the kid spoke, Shiro’s eyes widened just a fraction of a bit. It seemed like realization dawned on him.

“Katie?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have no idea how much I wanted to end the chapter at the part where Shiro leaves to go into the town to get supplies, so that you'd all have to wait and see if Shiro was alright.
> 
> But I have a self imposed minimum word count on my chapters in an attempt to better my own writing, so I continued on.
> 
> Now you guys have to wonder what happened to Matt. Honestly ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ who knows?


	4. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though Matt is not anywhere in the area, it is alright. Katie has his duties covered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I really want to apologize for just how long this update took. I just... I wanted to type it up, especially after getting reviews from Pechant and europa_report. I really needed to hear that people are enjoying this. ^-^
> 
> I just literally had zero idea what to do. I knew what I wanted just not how to get there. And then bam! Inspiration hit and I got this whole chapter out /and/ reached my self-imposed minimum word count goal without having to force myself to write more.
> 
> As a note: In the previous chapter, I've gone back and changed all mentions of 'Olkairy' to just 'Olkarion'. I figured that if I'm gonna use planets as towns I should just use the actual planet name... Also in this chapter, I mentioned a town that I couldn't change and sound natural so I just kept the planet name.
> 
> Anyway, I drew art for this chapter. It'll be in the scene and also I'll have to it in the end notes. (This chapter was done yesterday but I wanted very badly to draw so I just waited until I had the picture done for the fic.)

The house was not _bad_ really. It just reminded Keith a lot of his own place. It was bigger than his own place, but it still held the same feel. Nothing was organized. There was clutter everywhere. When they had come in, Katie had had to swipe books off of the couch for them to even have a place to sit.

Keith had almost gotten the impression that Katie would care about books. Instead, she had left them haphazardly on the ground, without a thought for them. Maybe she was able to get books easy, or maybe the books were old and damaged enough already that Katie just didn’t care if they got a little bit more hurt.

“Katie, what did you mean when you said Matt isn’t here?” Shiro’s question brought Keith out of his own trance, and he quickly fixed his eyes on the girl here. He had to wonder how old she was… Katie was not as old as he or Lance were, for sure. Yet she was old enough to know Shiro, and her brother was a friend of Shiro’s- one he trusted enough to bring dragons to.

“You know, I’d usually ask you for a code-word before talking about this, but considering you strode in here with two brand new dragons, I’ll let it slide.”

Keith snorted, causing Katie to glance over at him, and Red to let out an angry huff of air at the sudden movement. “I mean, if you were going to question us at all, you could have claimed to not know who this ‘Matt’ was, despite looking enough like him to have Shiro question if you _were_ him for a moment.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Katie sighed and shook her head. “Matt… He was called to the Voltron headquarters. He’s been gone for roughly a week, I’d say. So, sorry that you missed him.” Katie shrugged, and Shiro seemed to slacken his pose just a bit. Because Keith knew Shiro as well as he did, he could say that Shiro was disappointed.

“However!” Katie made sure to speak again as soon as Shiro opened his mouth to say something, cutting him off. “I know why you’re here. And since Matt isn’t here to help these two newest members of our rebellion, I can help.”

“Uh… Well that’s great and all…” Lance finally spoke up. He was not looking up at anyone in the room, and was paying attention to his dragon, who was curled up on his lap. “But what are you supposed to be helping us in? Shiro hasn’t told us a thing yet. Only that the friend we were meeting up with was named Matt and that he was an ally.”

Katie grinned at the question, not that Lance saw. Keith had a bad feeling about where this was going though. Katie had an air of mischievousness about her. Even Shiro seemed to frown lightly.

“That’s a very good question! I’m going to be teaching the two of you how to harness magic.”

**|***|**

“Again!” Keith grit his teeth at Katie’s insistence, and felt his temper start to flare. Still, he planted his feet and took a deep breath.

_‘Patience yields focus.’_ Keith tried to keep Shiro’s mantra in mind as he focused on the bond between him and Red. There was fire in his dragon’s soul, and as such, there was fire in his own. What Katie wanted him to do was grab that fire and bring it out. That was the first step.

It seemed easy enough, in theory. Reach out to Red with his mind, feel the warmth his hands always felt whenever he was not connected to his dragon, and bring that to the world around him. Easy-peasy. Only no, it was not easy.

Keith could reach out to Red easily enough. He could feel the fire from their bond. What he _could not_ do was bring that fire out of their bond and into the world. Red chirped from his perch, and Keith had to grind his teeth to not yell out. It almost seemed like Red was _mocking_ him for his inability to call the magic. Keith huffed and glanced over at Lance, who had Shiro to coach him.

Lance had his eyes closed, and was breathing deeply, lost in concentration. Blue rested on the ground just a few feet in front of him, her eyes resting on his face.

“Feel… The magic.” He muttered under his breath. Surprisingly, Keith could hear the words. Lance was definitely focused… Though Keith was satisfied to see that Lance was having as much trouble as he was, as evidenced by Lance huffing and stomping his foot a few seconds later.

“This is dumb! There’s no way I can do this.” Lance crossed his arms and glanced away, even as Blue chirped from her spot, seemingly encouraging him. Keith felt a sort of smugness at that. Even though he was not getting the magic as quickly as he would like, at least he was not throwing a fit about it.

“Lance, you can do this. I believe in you. Blue believes in you.” Shiro did his best to soothe Lance, and placed a hand on each of the other’s shoulders to ground him. “You need to concentrate. You need to feel your bond with Blue. You need to take control of the power hidden away within you, at your core.”

Though Shiro was Lance’s teacher while Katie was his, Keith found Shiro’s advice to be helping. This power was _his_. It was within him, and made up his very being.

Was it because he was destined to be a dragon rider, or did everyone have the potential to use magic with the right training? Maybe it was a combination of the two, and becoming a dragon rider gave him the ability to reach out and grab the magic that he, and everyone else, had within them. No matter what it was, Keith knew he could do this.

He tuned Lance and Shiro out. Keith even tuned Katie out, not that she was talking, just watching him. She was probably waiting for him to throw a fit like Lance so that she could jump in and interject her own opinion. Well, he had this.

Keith took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Red was not with him. It was easier to feel the fire when his hands burned from their lack of connection. Red _was_ sitting just a few feet away, watching him with narrowed, determined eyes. His dragon wanted this as much as Keith wanted this. Which was good. It actually boosted Keith’s confidence. It was probably silly that a determined look on a baby dragon would motivate him, but that was okay.

_‘Let’s turn up the heat.’_ Keith grinned as he reached for that connection between him and his dragon. Then, instead of diving deeper towards his dragon, he used that connection to look deeper within himself, to the spirit of fire Red represented. Keith’s eyes sparkled as he brought it forward, until suddenly he was holding a small fire in his hands.

He… He did it! Keith’s eyes widened and he gained the biggest smile. Red even chirped happily as he darted towards Keith. It only took the dragon a moment to scurry up Keith’s pants and hike himself onto his rider’s shoulders. Just like Keith, Red’s eyes sparkled a dark lavender as he watched the fire.

It was just them, and the fire. Or it would have been, if Katie had not exclaimed loudly as she threw her fist into the air. “Way to go, Keith!”

That startled Keith enough for him to drop the fire, and he could only watch as it flickered out of existence before hitting the ground. He turned to glare at the younger girl, and Red actually _hissed_ at her for interrupting their concentration.

Katie did not mind. She just grinned as she bounded over to them. “You successfully called out your element! It’ll only get easier from here. You can practice calling the fire out until its second nature, and then you get to work on magic outside of your element!” Katie was a ball of energy now that her efforts of teaching had born the fruit of Keith calling out some fire.

“Do it again Keith! Now that you’ve done it once, see if you can reach for it with Red still on your shoulder. If not, that’s alright! You still have it.”

Though Katie did not explicitly say so, Keith could _hear_ the challenge hidden away in her words. She was challenging him, seeing if he was good enough to call out magic now that there was no clear link to it. Keith grinned, determination taking over his face.

“I can do it.”

Keith and Katie were both too focused to notice Lance and Shiro leaving.

**|***|**

Lance sighed lightly as he found a seat on a pile of junk away from Keith and Katie. He just could not focus with the two of them nearby. He could not focus with how _easily_ Keith got magic to work. Lance wanted to take comfort in Blue, who curled up on his lap, closed her eyes, and started to purr. It was not purring in the way a cat would purr, but it was comforting all the same.

Lance focused his attention on Blue. He gently ran one of his index fingers along her spine, loving the feeling of his finger gliding with her scales. Blue seemed to like it too, as indicated by her purring deepening. Shiro had followed him when he stormed out, but Lance did not want to talk. He did not want to practice magic right now. If Shiro told him to, honestly, Lance would probably ignore him. Maybe Blue would growl at Shiro to leave. That thought caused Lance’s lips to twitch into an almost smile. Blue was not large enough to be intimidating yet, not without some influence helping her.

Lance expected Shiro to talk to him. It did not happen. The silence stretched on, seemingly lasting for hours. Lance knew it had not, as the sun had barely moved. When he risked a look over at Shiro, he was surprised to see the older man staring down at his hands as he twisted them over one another- as if they were cold, or he was nervous. Lance focused back on his dragon, noting the details of her scales, but waited for Shiro to speak.

“You know…” Shiro finally spoke, his voice soft. “In my class, I was the last person to call out my magic. It took so much longer than my peers that my teachers regularly discussed the possibility that they had misjudged my affinity for it.”

“Really?” That did not seem likely. Shiro was this trustworthy, muscular, guy. He was someone who seemed to pick up on skills fast and excel at them. Shiro was good enough to be bringing the only two dragon riders, excluding Zarkon, to Voltron. Lance had a hard time believing that Shiro did not pick up on magic as fast as Keith had.

“Really.” Shiro smiled faintly. “I even overheard them talking once. I can remember what they said even now.” He immediately schooled his expression. “‘The only reason we haven’t kicked him out yet is because of his father. If any other student took as long as he did, they’d be long gone.’” Lance could not help but snort at the high pitched, snooty teacher voice Shiro attempted to use. It was hilarious, _especially_ coming from Shiro.

“No way…” Lance was smiling now. “Wait… Wait. You said teachers, and class, and peers. Where did you live to get an education on magic?” Who _was_ Shiro?

The older man was silent for a while. He was gathering his thoughts and figuring out what he could share; what he should share. Finally, after what seemed to be forever, Shiro began to speak, his voice low.

“When I was a kid, I lived in the capital. I lived in Daibazaal. My father was a noble, and my mother was his favorite…” Shiro frowned as he tried to find the right word. Something that would not demean his mother. “…Partner. They were not married, but I was known as his child anyway, hence how I got some special treatment, like not getting thrown out of class when I showed no improvement or getting into that class at all.”

Lance was staring at Shiro, his eyes wide as he processed all the information Shiro had just given him. Shiro had lived in the capital of the entire Galran kingdom. While the older man was _technically_ related to nobility and acknowledged by his father, he was not nobility because of his parents’ marital status.

“So if you were technically nobility, why did you join with Voltron? What happened in that class that let you find your magic?” Lance had a million and one questions for Shiro, but figured that he needed to start somewhere.

“I got help.” Shiro said simply, shrugging. “Kind of like how Red and Blue are helping you and Keith reach your magic faster, and how Katie and I are tutoring you. It was actually great.” Shiro smiled now, bright and happy. “He was a great help, and I can still remember what it felt like to have his help.” Slowly, Shiro’s smile faded. “It… Doesn’t really matter now, but I thought it might help you to know that for some people, magic is hard to achieve. And today is only your first day of practicing. Keith got it, sure, but you’re your own person. Your magic is different than Keith’s.” Shiro’s lips quirked up. “Maybe your magic is stronger than his, and that’s why it feels more difficult to gather.”

Lance laughed lightly and shook his head. “Thank you, Shiro. I guess I was frustrated. Everything just seems to come easy to Keith.” He huffed and crossed his arms. “But hearing that it was hard for you too, I guess that gives me some perspective. Though… I guess I gotta admit that the only reason I stormed off was because Keith unlocked magic before me, and not because I didn’t get it right away.” He laughed awkwardly at that. Lance thought it was silly, especially after hearing that Shiro had struggled with this.

“Well, don’t worry about it.” Shiro smiled and put a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “You’ll do great, and won’t take much longer to call out your own magic. I believe in you.”

Lance found himself smiling widely at that, his confidence returning. If Shiro believed in him, there was no way he could fail. “Yeah! Let’s head back so I can keep trying.”

Shiro smiled and nodded. “Of course.”

**|***|**

Lance ended up not being able to call his magic out until three days later. He just had a hard time reaching for the magic, so when Lance finally called it out, the ice flowing over his hands like veins, he could not help but laugh.

“I got it! Look! I did it!” Lance waved his hands around, the ice reflecting the sun. His smile was bright, and even Blue was jumping up and down while squawking loud and excitedly.

Katie clapped, her eyes sparkling. “Great! That’s the first step down. You’re both catching on really fast.” It was good. Hopefully it meant that Lance and Keith would quickly get to the point where it was safe for them to travel with their knowledge of magic, though there was _always_ more to learn. “Now, you’re on the same step Keith is. Dismiss and recall your magic until its second nature. Until you can call it less than a second after you think to use it.”

Magic needed to come naturally. The pathways had to be open in order for either boy to use any other magic. It would not be good if Keith could only call upon ice magic, or if Lance could only call upon ice magic. In order to get anywhere, they had to be open to **all** magic, not just their own.

“What? That easily?” Lance’s smile fell from his face, and Blue curled around one of his legs in comfort.

“I thought the next step was being able to call my magic without having Red be away from me!” Keith crossed his arms as he stared down at Katie. That had been what he had been working on these past few days. He had been reaching for the magic while Red was perched on his head. It was actually really hard, and if it was not the next step, then Keith would, without a doubt, get angry. He was already annoyed, so anger was not that far away.

“Both skills are important.” Shiro spoke now, his voice firm. “You have not wasted your time, Keith, so don’t worry. Katie probably thought that the best choice for you was to call it out with your dragon present. For Lance, the best thing to practice on is being able to call his magic out.” He watched both Lance and Keith. “The two steps are interchangeable. So though you’ll be working on different things, you’re at the same level.”

Slowly, the two boys nodded, both of them relaxing somewhat. It was still a lot to learn, and it told both Keith and Lance that they had at least two additional steps to master, in addition to just calling out their magic. They had to know how, considering the vast array of mages that the Empire had until its control.

“Okay… So, I’ll keep practicing then. Until it takes me less than a second to call my magic. Meanwhile, Keith will practice until calling his magic while Red is there is second nature?” Lance barely glanced over at Keith as he spoke. Instead, he kept his eyes on both Shiro and Katie, their teachers.

“That’s right.” Katie nodded and adjusted her glasses. “You’ll both have to get to a point where calling the magic is a snap. Then, you’ll practice the other. After that, we can move onto magic _other_ than your main magic.”

“What are you saying?” Keith had crossed his arms as he watched their teachers. “So far, you’ve made it seem like we only have one kind of magic. I have fire magic and Lance has ice magic. And that makes sense. Red is a fire dragon and Blue is a water dragon. They would pick riders who have the same kind of magic as they do.”

“And that’s right.” Shiro nodded, agreeing with Keith’s logic. “But that isn’t all. Keith, your _main_ magic is fire based, while Lance’s is water based.” Hence the ice Lance had called. “That magic is the type you have the most of. It’s the easiest magic for you to call. However, you both have access to other kinds of magic. They just aren’t as powerful and harder to grasp.”

“For example!” Katie drew attention to herself. “Both Matt and I,” She motioned to herself, “are great users of Earth based magic. If I wanted to, I could do something like… Make a path for us by flattening the Earth.” She did not demonstrate. “But that doesn’t mean that earth magic is the only kind of magic I can use. For example, I can draw the water out of the ground or even call fire too. It just takes longer.”

“I have air magic.” Shiro spoke now. “That’s my main magic. However, I’ve used fire magic with you guys before.” Shiro smiled when Lance gaped at him. “Starting the fires,” he clarified before Lance could speak. “I’m surprised you guys didn’t notice.”

“Now, back to practicing!” Katie clapped her hands together. “No slacking off, or it’ll be forever until we can move on!”

Keith and Lance grumbled, but got back to practice. There was no way either of them wanted this to take longer than it had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly? THe hardest part about that drawing was getting Red drawn... Also Red may be subject to change. I'm not quite sure how I want the dragons to look yet, not to mention Red is still a baby dragon.
> 
> Anyway, if you like the art, you can like or reblog it from my tumblr [here!](http://lovesanimefanart.tumblr.com/post/164297039826/from-chapter-four-of-my-dragon-rider-au-he-he-did)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments give me the fuel and motivation to keep typing and posting.  
> You can talk with me on my [tumblr](http://lovesanimefanart.tumblr.com/), lovesanimefanart


End file.
